Voting has officially begun for Singapore’s parliamentary elections. On Saturday, May 3, voting started simultaneously at all 1,240 polling stations across the city-state from 8:00 a.m. local time and will continue until 8:00 p.m.
Elections are being held in 92 out of the 97 seats in the national parliament. The results will be announced on Sunday. Key issues influencing this election include the cost of living, housing, employment, healthcare, and elderly welfare, according to political analysts.
The People’s Action Party (PAP), Singapore’s largest political party, has dominated every election since 1959. While PAP is still expected to win this election, experts suggest the margin of victory may shrink further compared to the 2020 election.
In 2020, PAP won 60% of the seats—a decline from its historical trend of over 90%. The opposition Workers’ Party secured 10 seats, marking the worst-ever performance for PAP since Singapore’s independence.
Despite this, PAP continues to maintain strong influence in Singapore’s political landscape. Of the total candidates running in this election, 46% represent PAP.
Professor Lam Peng Er of the National University of Singapore told Reuters that PAP’s performance might drop slightly to 57–58% of the seats this time. “Regardless of the result, it’s nearly impossible to defeat PAP, as the party still enjoys remarkable popularity and acceptance among the people,” he added.
Singapore has had only four prime ministers over the past 60 years—all from PAP. The country’s longest-serving prime minister was Lee Kuan Yew, who held the position for 25 years. His son, Lee Hsien Loong, served for nearly 20 years before stepping down in May 2024. Since then, current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has been serving as the acting head of government. This election is also viewed as a test of his public support.
Singapore, one of Asia’s leading economies, has a population of about 6.04 million and spans 735.7 square kilometers. The total number of registered voters is 2.75 million